This is a poor justification for user subjugating software.

It does simplify things but do you feel if cheating could be curbed we still need locked down consoles?

Not the OP, but I do, in that I think that the piracy concerns do still exist. PS4 piracy is effectively impossible, and that's a very powerful argument for the platform holder to continue locking it down. One that both game developers and other application providers appreciate the control the platform provides; controlled platforms like phones and consoles are the only places that most people ever see YouTube ads, for example.

Another issue people overlook in these comments is quality control. You cannot get a Chinese PS4 knock-off, which would play some games and fail on others. Likewise, every licensed game you buy is, at the very least, verified to run adequately on every PS4 out there. It does not mean every game is going to be fun but even this low bar is impossible to reach on an open platform.

How is that connected with the ability to run your own binaries on the PS4?

I am not sure what are you asking about. I was replying to a post about the need to lock down consoles. Historically, this event caused the lockdown: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_video_game_cras...

I was not much of a gamer in 1983 but I believe on-line gaming and cheating was not a significant issue at the time. Nintendo first moved to lock its system and take control over the content due to quality concerns.

Yes, because they are locked down for other reasons too, such as the fact that they are sold at a loss, with the assumption they are used for gaming and thus can recoup the loss.